The past couple of months our family has faced a few challenges. Jamie has a lot going on at work that has kept him busy….like he goes into work before kids wake up and doesn’t return until after bedtime kind of busy. We’ve also purchased a rental property that needed renovations when the old tenants moved out. He’s there working all weekend long. We haven’t seen much of him lately and it’s been difficult on all four of us.
Anika started kindergarten and has done phenomenal. The transition was smooth. She loves her school and loves being there, but she’s gone all day. Her absence has been missed. It’s been rough on Jake and I and although she loves school, it’s been draining on her to be away so much. She misses the time with us. We’ve ended up in the emergency room for Anika two times in the past two months. Nothing serious, everything ended up ok, but still scary.
We’ve lost one of our dogs. The pain of it is still strong. The kids frequently talk about him. We are missing a family member. We watched a movie the other night that triggered me and I cried inconsolably for fifteen minutes after it was done. Our remaining dog still seems to be in bit of a depression over the loss of her life long companion.
We’ve all been craving some good, solid family time. When the stars aligned, Anika had Monday off for Veterans Day and Jamie was able to take it off too, we jumped at the chance to have a mini vacation together.
The North Conway area is our favorite place for a quick getaway. After a google search for available hotel rooms, with the only real criteria being an indoor pool and pet friendly, we decided to try out a place we’ve never stayed before. The Fox Ridge Resort.
The Fox Ridge is right off the main road, just past lots of shops and restaurants. It is nicely tucked away, at the top of a big hill, surrounded by views of beautiful mountains.
We were greeted by Michael at the front desk who was so friendly and welcoming. We arrived a little early for check in and our room wasn’t ready. When I asked about their mini golf course he said we were free to use it while we waited. The kids had a blast and Jamie and I enjoyed ourselves and a little competition too. Mini golf was a favorite of mine growing up so the activity was tied to a bit of nostalgia for me. Tweak mostly looked like she wanted to go lie down.
After we played for a bit, our room was ready. It was perfect. Big, clean and included a separate small room off the main room with two twin beds for the kids. This is always a plus if Jamie and I want to stay up a little later. It was just the right size with two twin beds for the kids. The bathroom had the sink on the outside and another room with a toilet and shower. There was also a large deck that was separated on either side by walls to allow for privacy for guests. It overlooked a stunning view of the mountains.
We immediately grabbed swimsuits and then went to check out the pool. It was one of the biggest I’ve seen at a hotel with the depth ranging from 3 all the way up to 8 feet. It had a sectioned off shallow end where Anika could stand up and practice swimming without her floatie on. Both kids enjoyed jumping in and splashing around until they were too cold to handle it any more.
We headed back to the room to change and get some dinner. None of us were feeling particularly adventurous at this point so we ended up at the tired and true Applebee’s. The kids got to get a special blue lemonade and the waitress brought out a gummy shark to put on top of it which pleased both our children.
We headed back to the hotel, the kids watch an episode of something on Nickelodeon, because to our children staying in a hotel equals pool and cable tv. Then it was bedtime. Once the kids were asleep Jamie and I watched some HGTV because to me staying in a hotel equals HGTV.
The next morning we checked out the complementary breakfast, which included many hot items, which made Jamie happy. We all left with full bellies. We returned to the room, got ready for the day and then checked out.
We used the playground for a bit before leaving the hotel. It was small, but perfect for our kids ages. There were multiple slides, a climbing wall and a couple of neat swings.
After some playground time we said goodbye to Fox Ridge resorts. We’ve tried several hotels in the North Conway area and we would definitely put this on our “stay at again” hotel list. The price, kid amenities (mini golf, great pool, separate room for kids), free hot breakfast, and location will make it a contender.
This trip was just what we needed. The four of us genuinely enjoy spending time together as a unit. Not being able to have that lately has been tough. With the death of our dog and the stress of other things, our home has also felt painful and empty at times. It was nice to get a chance to be away for a bit…to get recharged.
Was this 24 hour getaway perfect? Nope far from it. The kids complained most of the drive up about how far away it was. Jake threw up on me in the restaurant during dinner after he had quickly shoved as much broccoli as possible in his mouth while rapidly consuming the blue lemonade in point two seconds. Despite these minor nuisances we got to be together making memories in a new environment and take a break from our life that is currently in a busy and fragmented season. That was perfect to me.
